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Why I hate tolerance

The word “tolerance” has different meanings, some of which are pretty valid. In theory, tolerance is great. It makes you respect people who happen to be different than you, or hold different opinions or beliefs.

It’s not this great in reality. In reality, “tolerance” really means being polite to those who are different than you. Polite, not honest. Polite, not loving. Not understanding. Polite.

Being polite doesn’t mean anything if you’re not truly honest. Politeness is something for the outside, to show how great and nice and caring you are. You don’t really have to be- just act. Politeness is that kind of acting. It doesn’t show what’s inside. There could be a genuine great person, or a jerk. There are many polite jerks. I’ve met many of them. On the other hand, there are great people who have no manners and don’t know how to be polite.

I’m not saying we should be rude and mean to people who think differently than we do. But being polite, being nice isn’t enough. It’s practically worthless if you don’t take an effort to really understand other human beings and to love them in your heart for being, well, other human beings. Yes, even if they are different than you are.

I don’t really hate tolerance, but it isn’t my favourite thing in the world.

I want to be loved.
I want to be understood.
I don’t want to be tolerated.

I hate tolerance because it’s just a word. And not particularly great one.

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6 thoughts on “Why I hate tolerance”

I can’t tolerate what you are saying because it involves substituting one word for another without discerning their definiendum which, by and large, give 3rd party (existential) meaning to a word.

I could say “I hate right-wing politics” because for me ‘right-wing politics’ is the same as ‘racism’, for instance.
This is just wrong, or at best really really reckless.

Your posts when deciphered from these errs really state: “I hate superficiality.” Because that is what it’s saying. And who doesn’t?

Being polite is good because it serves as a door opener between people whom you’ve never met before. Being polite can reinstitute humanity in a beggar on the street. All the while I agree with your point, because we all know they are bastards (until they learn) because they are _superficial_. And superficiality indicates indifference, or adherence to formalities without recognizing the Other as human at all.

It’s all down to Kant’s treating the other as not only a mean to an end but an end in and of itself at the same time.

Well… imagine a world where people don’t at least pretend to be tolerant. That would be much worse. Luckly some people force themselves to be polite, but that must not be enough; people should be really learn to change this tolerance or politeness for respect.

You’re right, I know. I wrote this when I was pissed by some polite, yet ignorant people. The kind who smiles at your face, and talks about tolerance all the time, but hates all the people who do not look, think and act like them.

If someone dislikes me and my ways, good for them- but don’t smile at me and talk shit about me behind my back.

Not that I think people should be rude to each other. But politeness doesn’t equal respect.